BC SPCA Proposes Ban on Blue-Ringed Octopus

The British Columbia SPCA is advising the BC Ministry of the Environment (BC MOE) to ban many new exotic animals in the Province of British Columbia. The ban includes keeping, breeding, and selling exotic animals. The proposal specifically mentions the Blue-Ringed Octopus, as well as other venomous animals, which could also include Lionfishes, Stonefishes, etc.

While the proposed ban mostly includes reptiles such as Boas, Pythons, Monitors, Tortoises, and Turtles, the aquarium hobby will be effected as well.

They gave many reasons for the ban, but were their reasons reasonable? Not in my opinion! I would post a link to the BC SPCA proposal to the BC Ministry of the Environment, but I need to have at least 5 posts before I am allowed to link to another website. (2 more posts to go!)

The BC SPCA specifically included the Blue-Ringed Octopus as an example of a venomous aquatic animal that should be banned. Even though Lionfish are not used as an example, the BC SPCA, in their general criteria, proposes a ban on all venomous and poisonous animals, to which Lionfish certainly belong. Therefore, using a strict interpretation of the proposed banned animals, Lionfish, Stonefish, Sea Cumbers, Sea Urchins, any kind of Coral, etc... (many salt water animals are either poisonous or venomous) could be banned!

The real alarm here is that this proposed ban by the BC SPCA is the first one of its kind that is directed at the provincial level, and which includes any kind of aquatic animal.

Do you want to leave it up to the courts to decide if you can keep live corals in the Province of British Columbia?